Browsing Posts in: WHISKY & WHISKEY

The folks at Glenfiddich have been busy recently. Since Christmas we’ve had a couple of new and interesting bottles pop through our warehouse doors, and just this week another new whisky has appeared on our…

London has started to pick up two distinct drinks festival ‘seasons’ over the last few years. Autumn has become the home of London Cocktail Week and its bookends, our Whisky Show and Rumfest, and spring…

They say that everyone’s got a bit of Irish in them on St. Paddy’s Day. Statistically, that’s pretty unlikely – despite the diaspora’s best efforts – but it’s a noble ambition nonetheless. Anyway, to celebrate…

Highland Park are an interesting bunch. Their fans are numerous and (in the nicest possible way) rabid; their detractors are a much smaller group who in recent times have focused on a couple of things…

[Following on the first part of Tim’s write-up of his trip to Midleton, we jump straight back in with talk of the new expressions from Irish Distillers.] We’re back in the Distillers Cottage at the Old…

There’s been a few great whiskies this year, many of them Irish and some classics from independent bottlers (including a few zingers from our good selves, I must add immodestly). So this is not my Whisky of the…

Recent Comments

I think that you have totally missed the point. Many of us are against NAS because increasing lack of information decreases our appreciation for a whisky. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with a young 5/6/7/8 year old whisky and as many Distilleries have shown, there is much to enjoy and learn from young spirit, if matured in quality casks. The whole problem is that the Whisky industry doesn't trust us, the consumer to understand this! They patronize us instead by purposely withholding the age of the whiskies used and give the product some fancy name in the hope that we won't notice.
The bottom line is that they are afraid that stating that the youngest whisky in this bottling is 5 years old might negatively affect sales. To this I have two responses. 1. With the right marketing with words like fresh, clean, youthful, vibrant, it can be made to appeal. 2. The age statement does not have to be blazened across the front but can appear at the back somewhere. You can even be very ckever and state age of distilling and year of bottling and leave it up to those who want to know to work it out.
Withholding information like the age of the youngest whisky used or indeed the types of casks used is never a good thing and leads to a feeling by many consumers of dishonesty.Posted on: 19 July 2015

Speaking of "bond of trust", I noticed, after a particularly disappointing glass of Oban (a Diageo whisky), that the label now says simply "Oban 14". Nowhere does it specifically say "14 years old", or indicate the distillation/bottling dates.
As more and more NAS whisky appears, at higher and higher prices, I am convinced that often times a dram of 30 year old is going in to vats of 5 year old whisky and coming out as "Old Captain MacHaggis's ancient recipe very special blend traditional Scots Wa Hae highland and island rare old limited edition." For only $200 a bottle.Posted on: 26 June 2015